During the four weeks, we didn't just make films. Every night we went out and did something, ranging from movies to Thai restaurants to laser tag. One night, we went to see the BMX finals at the X Games in the Staples Center. Another night that I remember was when we went to The Grove to see the movie "The Magdalene Sisters." All of us hated the movie so much that on our way out, we strolled into a neighboring theater which was showing "Pirates of the Caribbean." We also had beach bonfires a few nights, which were a lot of fun. On the weekends, we would spend days at Disneyland, Universal, and Six Flags. All of these activities were optional, but it was that or hang out at the apartment and do nothing.

For my third film, I shot on a suburban set that had most recently been used by Ang Lee for "The Hulk." The shoot was straightforward (this time I was prepared), but there was one shot that was difficult to get. I needed a wide shot of an empty street, but that shot was a bit challenging to set up, seeing as there were at least 4 other crews on the same set. I was able to coordinate everyone so that I had an empty street for roughly 7 minutes. I got the shot, and in post-production, I was very happy with the results. At the end of the four weeks, friends and family were invited to a screening of the films inside one of Universal's screening rooms on the backlot. It was great to see all of the films on the big screen in a real, legitimate movie theater. Going home was sad, but all good things must come to an end.

NYFA was a fantastic experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. In addition to filmmaking, it really gave me what I can only describe as a "college experience." The level of independence that we had and the amount of trust that they put in us was incredible. All of the "counselors" were very cool, intelligent people who I've kept in touch with. The other great thing was the fact that every other person in this program was interested in exactly what I was interested in. We were all there for the same thing. We all had the same goal. That connection brought everyone together from the beginning, and could prove to be great connections several years from now. For anyone considering attending a NYFA course, I would suggest going ahead and doing it. It was one of the best things I've done.